Smokeless broiler



A. A. SHOUP SMOKELESS BROILER March 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.13, 1961 WW s\ 'lll.

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INVENTOR. ALLEN A, SHOUP BY WWZM ATTY

March 23, 1965 A. A. SHOUP SMOKELESS BROILER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb.13, 1961 Him 4; We n INVENTOR. ALLEN ASHOUP BY ATTY.

United States Patent 3,174,863 SMOKELESS BROILER Allen A. Shoup,Janesville, Wis., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Irene SchneiderTrust Filed Feb. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 88,868 6 Claims. (Cl. 99-1) Thisinvention relates in general to improved broiling means and inparticular to a smokeless and flameless broiler.

The invention provides, in an electric broiler wherein a heating elementis disposed directly beneath the food to minimize heat losses, means forpreventing or minimizing both smoking and flaming even though fat dripsdown on the heating element of, and on other components of, the broiler.

Applicant has discovered that fats from foods, e.g., from meats, willnot blaze or smoke upon contact with components if such components aremaintained at temperatures outside of a certain range, said rangehereinafter referred to as the smoke and flame temperature range. Thatis, if a component is cold enough, no smoke or flame will occur when fatdrips thereon; and if a component is hot enough, no smoke or flame willoccur when tat drips thereon. Applicant has discovered that the smokeand flame temperature range is the range of approximately 408 degreesFahrenheit to approximately 1400 degrees Fahrenheit.

To further explain, applicant has discovered that when fat drips upon acomponent at a temperature of about:

Less than 408, neither smoke nor flame occurs;

Over 408 and up to 850, smoke occurs without flame, the smokingincreasing with increases in temperature;

Over 850 and up to 1250, both flaming and smoking occur;

Over 1250 and up to 1400, flaming occurs without smoke;

and

Over 1400, neither smoke nor flame occurs.

In prior art broilers, the components, upon which fat drips, aremaintained at temperatures Within the smoke and flame temperature range,and thus smoking and flaming occurs when fats drip upon such components.

Applicant has provided a new and improved broiler wherein the heatingelement is hot (i.e., is above 1400 degrees Fahrenheit, the upper end ofthe smoke and flame temperature range), and wherein the other componentsare either col (i.e., below 408 degrees Fahrenheit, the lower end of thesmoke and flame temperature range), or are intermediate (i.e., withinthe smoke and flame temperature range) but are shielded against contactwith dripping fats by a shield, deflector or baffle which is either coldor hot and thus smoke-free and flame-free. Applicants broiler is thussmokeless and flameless.

More particularly, the broiler of the invention includes a support meansoperating below the smoke and flame temperature range adapted to bemounted on a supporting surface and having a food supportinggrill-thereon and a heating element arranged below the grill.Intermediate supporting means is provided for supporting the heatingelement on the support means. The intermediate supporting meansconstitutes any or whatever means that may be provided between thesupport means and the heating element. The heating element is providedwith surfaces exposed to the path of fats falling from food "icesupported on the grill, wherein the surfaces are spaced apart to definespaces through which fats fall even if they strike the heating element.The surfaces are operated at a temperature above the smoke and flametemperature range, wherein fats impinging thereon will fall off andthrough the spaces without smoking and/ or flaming. The grill is spaceda sufiicient distance above the heating ele ment so that the temperatureof the grill as heated by the heating element is below the smoke andflame temperature range. Moreover, the heating element is spaced aSufficient distance above a surface or pan on to which the fats fall sothat the surface or pan as heated by the heating element operates belowthe smoke and flame temerature range. And the area below the grillthrough which the fats fall in which the intermediate supporting meansis located is such a small portion of the entire area below the grillthrough which the fats fall that even though any part of theintermediate supporting means may operate within the smoke and flametemperature range, any smoke or flame produced by fats impinging thereonis negligible.

Among the objects and advantages of the invention is the provision of anelectric broiler which: is smokeless, is flameless; is low in cost;cooks rapidly; cooks the fat out of the food; retains the juices andvitamins in the food; is extremely easy to clean; is of simpleconstruction so as to minimize need of repair, yet easy to repair orservice should the need arise; has a great margin of safety from bothsevere burns and electrical shock; is economical in the use ofelectricity and in minimizing shrinkage of food; cooks steaks properlysearing the juices in one side without losing them out the other side;and cooks foods extremely deliciously.

These and other objects and advantages will appear from the followingdescription, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the broiler of thisinvention, with a fragment removed, to more fully disclose the detailsof the broiler;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the removable cooking unit of thebroiler, with fragments removed therefrom for a clearer disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the electric heating elementof the removable cooking unit, and of the means supporting the electricheating element;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the broiler;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational View, partly in section of asecond embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a broiler having a tubularhousing 1 which has four vertical or upright walls but has neither a topnor a bottom. On one side of the housing is mounted a vertical rod orpost 2 which cooperates to provide vertical setting adjustability for afood supporting grill 3, by means of a grill handle 4 having an opening5 therein only slightly larger than post 2. Thus, when held in a planeperpendicular to the post, the grill and grill handle may be moved up ordown thereon to the desired position; and may be secured in the desiredposition by slightly cocking the grill and grill handle to lock thegrill handle against the post. The grill handle 4 has a first portionextending vertically upwardly from the grill and a second portionextending horizontally away from the grill, forming a bent goose neckhousing. Perfect broiling of steaks is accomplished by ad justing thegrill to about /2 inch from element 15 for searing, to about 1%. inchesfrom element 15 for cooking, and to about 3 inches from element 15 forkeeping them warm prior to serving.

A removable cooking unit 6, which rests in housing 1 on a support 26,comprises a frame 12, preferably of about 12 x 16 inches, which supportsall the components of unit 6. The frame 12, as shown, is of channeledconfiguration and has a pair of electrical insulating strips 13 disposedin the channel thereof. The frame 12. itself may, if desired, be made ofan electrical insulation material. Mounted in the frame, and insulatedtherefrom by the insulating strips, is a pair of electric terminal pins9 adapted to receive, through an opening 27 in the housing, aconventional electrical connector plug and cord accessory to connect theterminal pins to a conventional source of electrical energy of about 110volts, 6O cycle, alternating current. The terminal pins 9 are connectedto conductors Ztl mounted in the insulating strip 13 so as to beinsulated from frame 12, the conductors 29 connecting the terminal pins9 with terrnnial posts 19 which are mounted in frame 112 and insulatedtherefrom by insulating strip 13. Connected to terminal posts 119 arethe ends 21 of an electrical heating element 15, which preferably is aNo. 21 Nichrome wire No. 24-5. Element 15 is arranged in a zig-zagfashion as shown, being supported at its points of reversal of directionby means including short fine wire links 16. The short links 16 arepreferably about inch long and are of smaller diameter stock thanelement 15 and preferably are of No. 23 Nichrome wire No. 245. The shortlinks 16 are supported by L-shaped bent wire of larger diameter thaneither the element 15 Wire or the link 16 wire, and which act as springstensioning element 15 so as to prevent undue slack which otherwise wouldoccur upon expansion due to heating up of element 15 upon electricalenergization. End links 14 are preferably about one inch long and aremounted in the insulation in frame 12 so as to be electrically isolated.Heating element 15 preferably is arranged to have 12 or 14 crossings.With 12 crossings, the heating element 15 preferably has a total lengthof about 8 /2 feet.

Disposed in spaced relationship above element 15 is an upper protectivegrid 1'7 mounted in insulating strip 13 on frame 12 and insulated fromthe frame and the electriccircuit. And disposed in spaced relationshipbelow element 15 is a lower protective grid 18 mounted in insulatingstrip 13 on frame 12 and insulated from the frame and the electriccircuit. These protective grids, in the event of breakage of element 15,confine the broken ends of the element Within the grids to prevent orminimize possibility of the element touching the user, the food, thehousing l, the Water tray It?) or the water 11% therein, and the gridsbeing electrically isolated, will insulate a broken electric elementfrom'all parts of the broiler other than the isolated rods of theprotective grids. I

The grids 1'7 and 18 consist of a plurality of separate rods, eachmounted rotatably in the frame. This feature provides easy cleaning ofthe rods when washing unit 6, in that when rubbed with a cloth, sponge,or other cleaning device, the rods rotate and all sides thereof are thuseasily cleaned. Each rod is electrically isolated from every other rodand from all other structure of the broiler. V

The electrical circuit for heating element 15 is thus seen to be, fromthe source of electrical energy, to one of the terminal pins 9, thenceto one of terminal posts 1? via one of the conductors in, thence throughelement 15 to the other of the terminal posts 19, thence via the otherof the conductors 26 to the other of terminal pins 9, and back to thesource of electrical energy. It is also thus seen that the electriccircuit is insulated from all other parts of the broiler, and even inthe event of breakage of element 15 is still insulated from the frameand housing.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, inclusive, all portions of theentire broiler are at temperatures outside of the smoke and flametemperature range.

Heating element 15 operates hot, i.e., above the range, for example atover 2200 degrees F. and preferably about up to 2300 degrees F.

Each short link 16 of the fine high resistance wire, at its end incontact with element 15, becomes hot (i.e., above the range), and at itsother end is cold (i.e., below the range). Only a negligible tiny spotor portion intermediate its ends is at a temperature within the range,but is so small that any fat striking it sputters off Without smoking orflaming.

Terminal posts 19 may also have a small portion, at the spot whereelement 15 contacts the posts, that may come within the range, but it isalso negligible when compared to the entire area, and is disposed at theends where fat drippings are less likely. For complete assurance, adeflector shield or baffle, such as bafile 24, which is maintained attemperatures outside the range, may be placed above posts 19 to insureno smoking or flaming, as is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

All of the other components of the broiler are spaced sufiiciently fromelement 15 so as to be cold (i.e., below the range).

Upper protective grid 17 is about inch from element 15. Lower protectivegrid 18 is about inch from element 15. Short links 16 are about inch inlength thus spacing end links 14, that distance from element 15. Theremaining components are even further from element 15 than those justmentioned and thus are cold, i.e., below the range, and thus smokelessand flameless.

Mounted near the lower end of housing 1 is a removable fatdrippings-and-water tray 10 slidably removable therefrom easily by apullfixture Illa. The water tray may contain water in the bottom thereofas is indicated by reference numeral 1012. Fat dripping from the fooddrops into the Water in tray 10 so that, after cooking, the fat may beeasily poured out'and the tray easily cleaned. For cooking very fattyfoods, the presence'of water is highly desirable. The tray is disposedclose to the heating element 15 for efficiency and economics of space,but not so close as to cause fats in the tray to smoke or ignite. Thecorrect distance has been found to be approximately 4 /2 inches fromheating element 15 'to the bottom of tray 10.

Housing 1 is provided with a plurality of openings 11, vertically inalignment, to provide vertical adjustability for mounting a support fora rotissiere or rotating spit, to adjustably dispose the rotating shaftof the rotissiere above the unit 6. In this arrangement, one mayconveniently cook birds, or other food to be rotated, over unit 6, andmay vary the size of thebird or other food, and still keep the surfaceof the food at the desired disstance from the heating element .15.

The frame 12 is of such size, and construction so that the removableunit 6 fits easily Within water tray 1%). This provides the convenientutility, when done cooking, of being able to wash unit 6 in water tray10, by submersing unit 6 in water in tray. 11%.

Grill 3 is also of such size and construction so that it also fitseasily within water tray 10 for such convenient washing. The upwardlybent goose-neck grill handle 4 of the grill permits the grill to beplaced in the water tray, just as it permits the grill to be placed inthe housing 1.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate another embodiment of the invention whereina'heating element 22 is hot (i.e., is at a temperature above the smokeand flame temperature range), but wherein the support 23 for element 22,and perhaps a small portion of the end of element 22, is intermediate(i.e., within the smoke and flame temperature range). Thus, if fats wereto drip on the support 23, smoking and/or flaming would result. Toeliminate smoking and flaming, there is provided a deflector shield orbaflle 24 which is either hot or cold (i.e., is outside of the smoke andflame temperature range). Fats will thus hit baflle 24 and not smoke orflame, and the fats are deflected from support 23. The baflie 24 may bea cold member (i.e., below the range), or may be a hot member (i.e., anelement heated so as to be above the range). Element 22 may be, forexample, a Globar heating element, which operates at temperatures abovethe range, e.g., at about 2300 degrees F., but which is usually mountedin such a way so that the end support member and a small portion of theend of the element is within the range. Element 22 could alternativelybe No. 21 Nichrome wire No. 245 such as hereinbefore described forelement 15, but mounted in such a way that the mounting and perhaps asmall portion of the element are within the range.

Applicant has thus provided a novel broiling means and method forbroiling smoke-free and flame-free, by providing, in the firstembodiment, a hot heating element, and all other components cold. In thesecond embodiment applicant provides a hot heating element, coldcomponents, and intermediate components, wherein the intermediatecomponents are shielded from fats by either a hot or a cold bafl'lemeans.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A broiler comprising, support means operating below the smoke andflame temperature range adapted to be supported on a supporting surface,a food supporting grill on said support means, a heating elementarranged below said supporting grill, intermediate means for supportingsaid heating element on said support means, said heating element havingsurfaces exposed to the path of fats falling from food supported on saidgrill operating above the smoke and flame temperature range and spacesbetween said surfaces through which fats fall, means for supporting saidgrill a distance above said heating element so that the temperature ofthe grill as heated by the heating element is below the smoke and flametemperature range, said heating element being spaced a sufiicientdistance above a surface on to which the fats fall so that said surfaceas heated by the heating element operates below the smoke and flametemperature range, the area of said intermediate supporting means uponwhich fats may fall being such a small portion of the entire area belowthe grill through which the fats fall that any smoke or flame producedby fats falling on the intermediate supporting means is negligible.

2. A method of broiling foods comprising, the steps of, placing food ona grill positioned above a heating element having surfaces exposed tothe path of fats falling from said food and spaces therebetween throughwhich fats fall, operating said surfaces above the smoke and flametemperature range, providing support means operating below the smoke andflame temperature range for said grill, providing intermediate means forsupporting the heating element on said support means, spacing said grilla suflicient distance above the heating element to maintain thetemperature of the grill as heated by the heating element below thesmoke and flame temperature range, spacing said heating element asuflicient distance above a lower surface on to which said fats fall sothat said lower surface as heated by the heating element operates belowthe smoke and flame temperature range, and confining said intermediatesupporting means in such a small portion of the entire area below thegrill through which fats fall that any smoke or flame produced by fatsimpinging on the intermediate supporting means is negligible.

3. A broiler comprising, support means operating below the smoke andflame temperature range adapted to be supported on a supporting surface,a food supporting grill on said support means, a heating elementarranged below said supporting grill, intermediate means for supportingsaid heating element on said support means, said heating element havingsurfaces exposed to the path of fats falling from food supported on saidgrill operating above the smoke and flame temperature range and spacesbetween said surfaces through which fats fall, means for supporting saidgrill a distance above said heating element so that the temperature ofthe grill as heated by the heating element is below the smoke and flametemperature range, a fat collecting pan spaced a suflicient distancebelow said heating element so that said pan into which fats fall asheated by said heating element operates below the smoke and flametemperature range, said pan having water therein for facilitating theremoval of fats therefrom, the area of said intermediate supportingmeans upon which fats may fall being such a small portion of the entirearea below the grill through which the fats fall that any smoke or flameproduced by fats falling on the intermediate supporting means isnegligible.

4. A broiler comprising, support means operating below the smoke andflame temperature range adapted to be supported on a supporting surface,a food supporting grill on said support means, an electrically operatedheating element arranged below said supporting grill, intermediate meansfor supporting said heating element on said support means, said heatingelement having surfaces exposed to the path of fats falling from foodsupported on said grill operating above the smoke and flame temperaturerange and spaces between said surfaces through which fats fall, meansfor supporting said grill a distance above said heating element so thatthe temperature of the grill as heated by the heating element is belowthe smoke and flame temperature range, said heating element being spaceda suflicient distance above a surface on to which the fats fall so thatsaid surface as heated by the heating element operates below the smokeand flame temperature range, the area of said intermediate supportingmeans upon which fats may fall being such a small portion of the entirearea below the grill through which the fats fall that any smoke or flameproduced by fats falling on the intermediate supporting means isnegligible.

5. A broiler comprising, support means operating below the smoke andflame temperature range adapted to be supported on a supporting surface,a food supporting grill on said support means, a heating elementarranged below said supporting grill, intermediate means for supportingsaid heating element on said support means, said heating element havingsurfaces exposed to the path of fats falling from food supported on saidgrill operating above the smoke and flame temperature range and spacesbetween said surfaces through which fats fall, means for supporting saidgrill a distance above said heating element so that the temperature ofthe grill as heated by the heating element is below the smoke and flametemperature range, said heating element being spaced sufficient distanceabove a surface on to which the fats fall so that said surface as heatedby the heating element operates below the smoke and flame temperaturerange, and means operating outside of the smoke and flame temperaturerange for shielding said intermediate supporting means against fallingfats.

6. A broiler comprising, support means operating below the smoke andflame temperature range adapted to be supported on a supporting surface,a food supporting grill on said support means, a heating elementarranged below said supporting grill, intermediate means for supportingsaid heating element on said support means, said intermediate supportingmeans being located a sufficient distance from the area in which fatsnormally fall so that any smoke or flame produced by fats fallingthereon is negligible, said heating element having surfaces exposed tothe path of fats falling from food supported on said grill operatingabove the smoke and flame tempera- 27 g ture range and spaces betweensaid surfaces through 1,734,138 11/29 Lehmann 99-446 X which lets fall,and means for supporting said grill 2,097,793 11/37 -Howell 99-446 adistance above said heating element so. that the tempera- 2,230,268 2/41Russell et a1. ture of the grill asheated by the heating element isbelow 2,752,475 6/56 Norris 219532 X the smoke and flame temperaturerange, saidheating ele- 5 2,827,846 3/58 Karling 99450 X -ment beingspaced at sulficient'distance above a surface 7 2,874,631 2/ 59Cooksley.

on to which the-fats fall so thatvsaid surface as heated 2,903,549 9/59Joseph 99-446 X by the heating-elementoperates below the smoke and2,905,077 9/59 Francia 99-446 flame temperature range. FOREIGN PATENTS10 References Cited by the Examiner 140, 12/03 Germany.

7 UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

$3223 1 5; GEORGE A. NINAS, JR., A. H. WILKELSTEIN, A.

1,291,423 1/19 Crary 15 LEWIS MONACELL, JEROME SCHNAJL, I

1,294,269 2/19 Hopkins 219.451

2. A METHOD OF BROILING FOODS COMPRISING, THE STEPS OF, PLACING FOOD ONA GRILL POSITIONED ABOVE A HEATING ELEMENT HAVING SURFACES EXPOSED TOTHE PATH OF FATS FALLING FROM SAID FOOD AND SPACES THEREBETWEEN THROUGHWHICH FATS FALL, OPERATING SAID SURFACES ABOVE THE SMOKE AND FLAMETEMPERATURE RANGE, PROVIDING SUPPORT MEANS OPERATING BELOW THE SMOKE ANDFLAME TEMPERATURE RANGE FOR SAID GRILL, PROVIDING INTERMEDIATE MEANS FORSUPPORTING THE HEATING ELEMENT ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS, SPACING SAID GRILLA SUFFICIENT DISTANCE ABOVE THE HEATING ELEMENT TO MAINTAIN THETEMPERATURE OF THE GRILL AS HEATED BY THE HEATING ELEMENT BELOW THESMOKE AND FLAME TEMPERATURE RANGE, SPACING SAID HEATING ELEMENT ASUFFICIENT DISTANCE ABOVE A LOWER SURFACE ON TO WHICH SAID FATS FALL SOTHAT SAID LOWER SURFACE AS HEATED BY THE HEATING ELEMENT OPERATES BELOWTHE SMOKE AND FALME TEMPERATURE RANGE, AND CONFINING SAID INTERMEDIATESUPPORTING MEANS IN SUCH A SMALL PORTION OF THE ENTIRE AREA BELOW THEGRILL THROUGH WHICH FATS FALL THAT ANY SMOKE OR FLAME PRODUCED BY FATSIMPINGING ON THE INTERMEDIATE SUPPORTING MEANS IS NEGLIGIBLE.
 5. ABROILR COMPRISING, SUPPORT MEANS OPERATING BELOW THE SMOKE AND FLAMETEMPERATURE RANGE ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE, AFOOD SUPPORTING GRILL ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS, A HEATING ELEMENT ARRANGEDBELOW SAID SUPPORTING GRILL, INTERMEDIATE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAIDHEATING ELEMENT ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS, SAID HEATING ELEMENT HAVINGSURFACES EXPOSED TO THE PATH OF FATS FALLING FROM FOOD SUPPORTED ON SAIDGRILL OPERATING ABOVE THE SMOKE AND FLAME TEMPERATURE RANGE AND SPACESBETWEEN SAID SURFACES THROUGH WHICH FATS FALLS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTINGSAID GRILL A DISTANCE ABOVE SAID HEATING ELEMENT SO THAT THE TEMPERATUREOF THE GRILL AS HEATED BY THE HEATING ELEMENT IS BELOW THE SMOKE ANDFLAME TEMPERATURE RANGE, SAID HEATING ELEMENT BEING SPACED SUFFICIENTDISTANCE ABOVE A SURFACE ON TO WHICH THE FATS FALL SO THAT SAID SURFACEAS HEATED BY THE HEATING ELEMENT OPERATES BELOW THE SMOKE AND FLAMETEMPERATURE RANGE, AND MEANS OPERATING OUTSIDE OF THE SMOKE AND FLAMETEMPERATURE RANGE FOR SHIELDING SAID INTERMEDIATE SUPPORTING MEANSAGAINST FALLING FATS.